Smith glanced at Menghuan, sensing its aura. It was much stronger than Mewtwo's, but knowing Menghuan's personality, it would not fight seriously unless absolutely necessary.
"These Pokémon are so cute!" Keqing exclaimed, her gaze fixed on Pikachu. She was clearly charmed by the little yellow mouse. She grabbed Smith's shoulder and pleaded, "Smith, let's take some Pokémon with us, shall we?"
Smith did not refuse. "Pokémon like Pikachu are not particularly rare in this world. As long as we put in the effort to find them, it shouldn't be too difficult."
"Then we'll take some Pokémon," Keqing smiled. "It's a shame, though. Pokémon like Menghuan can't leave."
Smith stroked Menghuan once again. The small creature let out a playful scream, protesting, "That's enough! One stroke is enough. Why are you thinking about doing it a second time?"
"Haha, you're just too cute!" Smith chuckled, amused. Then he turned toward the nearby copy machine. Despite Mewtwo's departure, the machine was still operating, producing a multitude of copy Pokémon. Without Mewtwo's orders, these copy Pokémon didn't dare to make any moves.
---
Five kilometers away from Mewtwo's castle, Mewtwo and Zhongli hovered in the air, facing each other. Zhongli's eyes were fixed on Mewtwo as he spoke in a deep voice, "Come at me. Let me see your strength."
"Be careful." Mewtwo concentrated, raising its aura to its peak. A purple energy barrier enveloped Mewtwo as it charged toward Zhongli.
Just before Mewtwo made contact, a golden shield rose around Zhongli. Mewtwo's attack collided with the shield, creating a massive burst of energy, but Zhongli remained motionless, floating effortlessly in place.
Mewtwo, on the other hand, was sent flying backward hundreds of meters.
Mewtwo stared at Zhongli, disbelief written all over its face. This god from another world was far stronger than it had anticipated.
After taking a deep breath, Mewtwo raised its hands and summoned a wave missile nearly five meters in diameter. With a mighty push, it launched the missile toward Zhongli.
"Interesting!" Zhongli crossed his arms. An even stronger shield appeared around him as he charged directly toward the massive missile.
"Boom!" The wave missile crashed against the shield, causing a violent explosion. A mushroom cloud rose at the point of impact, with Zhongli standing at the center.
Mewtwo didn't feel triumphant upon seeing this. It remained serious, eyes scanning the mushroom cloud, waiting for Zhongli's next move.
Within moments, Zhongli flew out of the cloud and headed straight toward Mewtwo. In the blink of an eye, Zhongli was right in front of Mewtwo. Reacting quickly, Mewtwo extended its arms to block the incoming attack. Zhongli's fists collided forcefully with Mewtwo's arms, sending an overwhelming shockwave through Mewtwo's body.
The force was so immense that Mewtwo felt as though its arms were no longer its own.
"Your energy is good in nature," Zhongli's voice echoed as he continued his barrage, "but you don't know how to use your power! It's too scattered."
With those words, Zhongli demonstrated what could only be described as a masterful display of fighting technique. Mewtwo could clearly feel that the strength and speed it was using were the same as Zhongli's, but Zhongli's mastery allowed him to control the fight completely.
Mewtwo realized with a start—it was like a helpless weakling facing a seasoned warrior.
As the battle continued, Zhongli spoke, his strikes never faltering. "Moves are important. I see many traditional moves in your world. They have value, but fighting cannot be constrained by tradition."
Zhongli dodged and countered, effortlessly landing more blows. "You need to learn to adapt. I've never fought other gods from your world, but their control over power is certainly superior to yours. That Mew, for example, made me feel some danger."
Mewtwo began to understand. The intensity of the battle had already started to make it improve, yet it was clear that this progress could not be achieved overnight.
"You have great talent," Zhongli continued. "I can tell you've started improving during the fight. But if you don't master your own power, there may come a time when you lose to a weaker opponent."
Mewtwo's fighting instincts, honed by years of battles, began to sharpen. The guidance from Zhongli was unlocking new levels of potential. Even Mewtwo's psychic abilities began to surface more clearly, assisting it in the fight, though they were no match for Zhongli's prowess.
Despite Mewtwo's growing skill, Zhongli's strength remained insurmountable.
After the two separated to catch their breath, Mewtwo looked at Zhongli, a complicated expression on its face. "Thank you," Mewtwo said softly.
If Mewtwo hadn't realized the immense gap between itself and Zhongli before, there was no denying it now.
Zhongli shook his head slightly. "You are talented. You may even reach my level one day. But that will take time. Don't be discouraged. I've lived for over 6,000 years. I've fought in the Demon God War and faced countless enemies. I've been fighting since I was born. You, however, have only just begun."
"Are there many battles in your world?" Mewtwo's eyes sparkled with interest. "You said you've fought many demons. I want to learn more."
"There haven't been large-scale battles for almost 500 years," Zhongli explained, "but a new war is on the horizon. Even I might perish in it."
Mewtwo's eyes burned with determination. "Can I come to your world?"
After a brief hesitation, Mewtwo continued, "When I was created, those humans told me I was a copy of Mew, the strongest Pokémon. They wanted to use my power to dominate the world. I saw their ambitions, their cruelty toward Pokémon. But I don't even know if I'm a true Pokémon."
"I destroyed their base and escaped," Mewtwo added. "But I know they'll keep hunting me down. I wanted to build an army of Pokémon to fight them. But…"
Mewtwo's expression softened as it glanced at Zhongli. "It seems that leaving this world with you could be a better path. I also want to see what a world without Pokémon is like."
Zhongli listened carefully, his expression full of complexity. "If you wish to leave with me, I will welcome you. But I cannot guarantee that we will ever return to this world. I hope you understand."
Mewtwo paused, processing Zhongli's words. It quickly came to terms with the situation. After all, traveling between worlds was never easy. Still, Mewtwo didn't feel particularly attached to this world anymore.
"I want to leave with you," Mewtwo said quietly. "And I want to learn to fight like you."
Zhongli nodded, his gaze softening as he placed a hand on Mewtwo's shoulder. "Then let's go. The journey ahead may be long, but you'll learn much along the way."
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